Man Bags

What’s a man with a sense of style supposed to do for a carry-on? Often, men’s designer bags either skew too Ed Hardy or too feminine, and the task of finding one that’s luxurious, stylish and still a bit masculine is a bit more difficult than you think. Leather bags in particular seem too often to lean toward the womenswear side of the aisle, but not all men want to spend their luxury luggage dollars on nylon or canvas.

Enter the Lanvin Military Duffle Bag. This design strikes the perfect balance between macho and high-end, and the details are just “Lanvin” enough to be distinctive without looking like a woman should be carrying it. → Read More

Can I just tell you all that this picture made me want to run over to Bottega Veneta and buy every single wallet shown?! The kaleidoscope of colors and materials makes me feel like a kid in a candy shop. Only this is a luxury leather goods candy shop, the best kind of shop in my opinion.

We leave out the PurseBlog men way too often. These Bottega Veneta Wallets are just for you guys, as the dimensions are a bit larger. Materials include intrecciato leather, ayers, stingray, ostrich, and crocodile. There are many color options (as shown above). → Read More

With all of the men’s shows happening in Europe this week, I’ve been thinking a lot about manbags. Historically they’ve been a fashion staple, but much like hats, they fell out of favor in the second half of the last century. At least in a small way, however, they appear to be back and gaining leverage over the past few years.

And where there’s an opportunity to sell things, those trying to sell an expensive version of those things can’t be far behind. There are now more choices for luxury manbags than ever before, and my personal favorite (of the day, anyway) is the Basil Racuk Hard Brief. → Read More

In our past two Gossip Girl discussions, we’ve had at least one poster ask about the messenger that Dan sports in the series – it’s vintage-looking, non-bulky, and actually pretty chic (for a manbag). And truth be told, I have no idea what it is or where it came from. Even on an enormous website like Zappos that carries hundreds of brands, only a handful of results appear when looking for a brown leather messenger (and most of them are for women). Perhaps society is trying to discourage our male counterparts from sporting man purses, or maybe brown just isn’t a big color for men this season. Honestly, I have no idea – I didn’t expect my search to be nearly so futile. I did find one bag that I thought Mr. Dan Humphrey might like, even though it’s obviously not the one that he has in the series: the Salvatore Ferragamo Nomad Messenger Bag. Its details are understated, its leather looks worn and saddle-like, and the silver buckles are just simple enough to not make you question the wearer’s sexuality (not that a manbag should make you do that in the first place). Brooklyn-dwelling teenager Dan would have to sell his sister Jenny into white slavery to afford it, though: it’s a bit steep, but buy through Saks for $1,900.

LT Wright Mailbag | $9,900

So this post was supposed to come last week, but this little thing called life happened and poof!, Father’s Day is right around the corner. Luckily my father along with most others still loves and accepts gifts a few days late. I have been meaning to post about the Lambertson Truex man bags. After we met Richard and John, we began to obsess over their bags. But do you know who was sitting in the showroom trying a bag on and looking like a kid at Christmas? It was Vlad, not even me! Sure I was excited and had a mental list of about 10 purses that I had to had, but Vlad had an ear-to-ear smile when he found the LT Wright Mailbag in espresso crocodile and luxe grain ($9,900). He tried it on and was so sold on it I had to literally drag him out of the store. When I think back on it, we should have just asked if we could buy it, because after all, tech guru or not, Vlad is the handbag king in his own right! The aspect about Lambertson Truex Man Bags is that they are masculine. There is nothing about them that your un-handbag-loving dude will not like. The lines are clean, the shapes are boxy, but the overall look is meticulous as Richard and John are and perfect. Vlad is particular about his man-bags. A great messenger suits his needs but he is not looking for a monogram canvas or a colorful array. This is why most men would love a Lambertson Truex bag; the clean lines and understated elegance will not overwhelm or overpower the usability. If you need a gift for your dad this Father’s Day and are a little behind, make sure to check out some bags from Lambertson Truex! Sold through Saks and LT boutiques. → Read More

As we continue traveling, we continue shopping for a new travel bag. Vlad and I were tempted by a 50 cm Hermes Haut A Courroie (HAC), but it was just too big, yet his current messenger is just too small. We are like Goldilocks, we need something just right. I am waiting for a 40 cm Birkin, which will be the best option for me when it comes to a travel Birkin and Vlad is stumped. He needs a better carry-on bag for all of the traveling we do. We popped into Louis Vuitton Cologne and saw a great looking tote. For me, it was not a bag that I wanted him or I to leave with, but it is a great everyday bag nonetheless. The SA at Louis Vuitton said it is unisex, though I find it to be very masculine. The Louis Vuitton Utah Leather Kiowa Tote is designed with sturdy, yet supple hand-grained Utah calf leather and sports straps down the front of the bag. I am not blown away by this handbag, it is rather simple, but when it comes to giving a man a handbag, simple usually is the best route. The hardware is polished but is aged brass, so it is not too shiny for the man that does not care to draw attention to his man bag. It is always a plus to have a zip top closure, and the inside features a flat pocket and a cell phone pocket. Dimensions are still too small for a 17″ computer, but will fit the average laptop, 16.4″x 12.9″x 5.85″. I like it, I don’t love it, and I am waiting for another Birkin Buy through eLuxury for $1,940.

When you travel it is important to make sure your man carries a bag along too. My handbag gets heavy from long days of walking and I always need a helping hand. Vlad carries his Louis Vuitton Taiga Dersou Messenger Bag with him and I begin to unload my unwanted items. That way my purse is lighter, my shoulder stops aching, and my man can carry my essentials that essentially hurt. Tod’s is a great designer to turn to for sturdy, stunning, manly designs. They are not feminine, yet they can definitely be classified as stylish. Take a load off your shoulder and tell your man (or buy your man) the Tod’s Messenger Bag. The dark brown textured leather gives off a masculine color and the contrast stitch keeps the bag from looking drab. I love the toned down shoulder strap, which is made with canvas. The hardware is metal and there are accessory compartments on the inside. The compartments, of course, are for you to help your man organize his things or your things. The dimensions would fit a small lap top, but if you are packing heavy machinery (17″ Mac Book Pro a la Vlad and I) you either need a bigger bag or to leave your lap top at home. Buy through Saks for $1250.

I have been obsessing over this Louis Vuitton man bag since the second our favorite Bal Harbour SA ‘J’ allowed me to lay my eyes on it. The Mini Grimaud from the Bequia line is the ultimate, sophisticated man bag that inherits bold features from its vintage sister Grimaud (which was recently brought back to life in Damier canvas, without the traditional shoe inserts, though). The calf leather is very thick, which makes the Mini Grimaud a heavy carry even in an empty state. Numerous chunky brass pieces and the heavy-duty zipper add additional weight, which does limit the bag’s portability (not a comfortable aeronautical traveling bag) but makes a perfect companion for weekend convertible trips to the Hampton’s. For $2,550, you get a sturdy short-traveler that will last a lifetime. Available via 1-866-VUITTON or eLuxury’s exclusive Vuitton boutique.